Shloka 23
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
दशभि: सात्यकि विद्ध्वा सौमदत्तिरथापरान्
daśabhiḥ sātyakiṃ viddhvā saumadattir athāparān
Sañjaya dit : Après avoir atteint Sātyaki de dix flèches, Saumadatti tourna ensuite son assaut contre les autres également. La scène souligne l’élan inexorable du combat, où la prouesse se mesure autant à la retenue et au dessein qu’à la force, même quand la violence s’exacerbe.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya battlefield ethic: skill and resolve are displayed through precise action, yet the moral weight lies in how power is directed—whether toward duty and protection or toward unchecked aggression.
Sañjaya reports that Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas) wounds Sātyaki with ten arrows and then proceeds to attack other warriors, indicating a continuing, widening engagement in the Drona Parva battle.